MLB Rumors: Yankees Remain Interested In Pitcher Ervin Santana After Ubaldo Jimenez Signs With Orioles

With the Baltimore Orioles recently inking coveted pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez to a four-year, $48 million dollar deal, former Los Angeles Angels and Kansas City Royals starter Ervin Santana is now the top available free agent pitcher on the market. Santana has had varying degrees of interest throughout the offseason but now that he's dropped his once-steep asking price, the 31-year-old could find a new home in the coming days. Posting a 9-10 record with a 3.24 ERA last season in Kansas City, Santana showed the ability to compete at a high level, with his 2013 campaign another indication that he is surely capable of helping ball clubs solidify their starting rotations.

The Dominican Republic native bounced back from a rough 2012 in Los Angeles last season with the Royals, posting the lowest single-season ERA of his nine-year career. In 32 starts, Santana totaled an even 211 innings while collecting 161 strikeouts, giving him an average of over 6 strikeouts per game and an appetizing resume heading into the current free agent period. While multiple teams including the Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies and Royals have shown interest, reports indicate that the New York Yankees are still in the running for the free agent right-hander.

According to the Boston Globe, New York still sits as a possibility despite the organization's significant spending spree this winter. Signing outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran to multi-year deals along with catcher Brian McCann, second baseman Brian Roberts and Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, the Yankees proved once again that money is no issue when it comes to filling holes and many believe the team still has a pressing need in the pitching department. CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova, Hiroki Kuroda and Masahiro Tanaka are expected to fill the first four starting positions with the fifth slot still an unknown. While GM Brian Cashman and Yankees higher-ups would like to see one of their in-house youngsters win the job, the acquisition of a player like Santana could be the direction they go.

Despite dropping his asking price, Ervin Santana could still demand a contract worth upwards of $100 million but don't expect that to deter the Bronx Bombers just yet.